Be Strong

Most of my life has been about praying it safe. I started young, tucking my heart in with this nighttime entreaty:

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake

I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.

Upon waking the next morning, I could yawn and stretch, safe for another day! Life was simple in those days.

I’m ever so grateful for the reminder in Ephesians 6 that prayer is about being STRONG, rather than merely staying safe. Life is not so simple these days.

I’m not sure which frightens me more: terrorists attacking unsuspecting infidels on American soil or Americans counterattacking with hate and twisted facts on every media outlet available. It all feeds the Enemy’s taste for deception and contempt for truth. It all paralyzes us with fear, goads us into fighting, and weakens our faith.

And I realize that God could pull us under His wings and hide us safely away until Jesus comes. Instead He gave us Paul’s words of confident hope:

“be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” Eph. 6:10

Here’s what I notice about this truth:

God is the strong one. When it comes to fighting the Enemy of our souls, we rely solely on the strength of the Lord.

God does the fighting. Yep, it’s His might that sets everything right. Though we are engaged in this spiritual battle, the ultimate victory has already been won.

I BE. To me that speaks of the responsibility to rest in Him. Rest during the battle? Absolutely! What better way to prove to a watching world that our God is strong.

Mind if I pray for us? …

Mighty God, Strong to Save ~ we rest in Your promise to be strong through us, making us fit for this battle against hatred and fear in our country. Your grace has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. Help us to stand firm in our faith, turning our backs on Godless living and sinful pleasures. Help us live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to You. (Titus 2:11-12) Amen!